Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus performs plasma process by using a hydrogen radical generated by plasma-exciting a process gas containing hydrogen on a substrate to be processed. A high-frequency antenna includes an antenna device that is configured to resonate at a half-wavelength of high-frequency power applied from the high-frequency power source by opening two ends of the antenna device and grounding a center point of the antenna device. A barrier wall member for separating a plasma generating chamber and a plasma processing chamber includes a plurality of plate-shaped members having a plurality of openings through which the hydrogen radical passes, formed of an insulating material through which UV light does not pass, and overlapping each other at a predetermined interval, wherein the openings of one plate-shaped member are provided not to overlap the openings of another plate-shaped member.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefits of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-013381, filed on Jan. 25, 2011 in the Japan Patent Office, and U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 439,192, filed on Feb. 3, 2011 in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Conventionally, in a semiconductor device manufacturing field, a plasma processing apparatus using plasma is well known as an apparatus for performing, for example, film-forming process or etching process on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.[0006]In a plasma processing apparatus as described above, a technology for generating plasma of a hydrogen gas and using a hydrogen radical contained in the plasma of the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus that may effectively perform plasma process by efficiently using a hydrogen radical on a substrate to be processed, may prevent a dielectric window from being damaged due to hydrogen ions, and does not require a cooling mechanism for cooling a high-frequency antenna, and a plasma processing method using the plasma processing apparatus.

Problems solved by technology

As such, when plasma of a hydrogen gas is used, if a capacity coupled parallel plate plasma processing apparatus such as a flat plate type is used, an electrode is significantly damaged due to hydrogen plasma.

Also, if only a radical contained in plasma generated in the vertically long plasma generating chamber is moved and used on a substrate to be processed, a moving distance of the radical is increased, and thus it is difficult to efficiently use the radical to efficiently process the substrate to be processed.

Accordingly, ions contained in plasma are attracted by a voltage of the high-frequency antenna, and thus the dielectric window may be damaged, and also, a temperature of the high-frequency antenna is increased due to heat inputted from plasma, and thus a cooling mechanism for cooling the high-frequency antenna may be required.

As described above, in a conventional technology, when a hydrogen radical is used on a substrate to be processed to perform plasma process, it is difficult to effectively use the hydrogen radical on the substrate to be processed.

Also, a dielectric window is damaged due to hydrogen ions, or a high-frequency antenna is damaged due to heat inputted from plasma, and thus a cooling mechanism is required.

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